singillatim | I'd sit there and look at the deserted lakes and I'd sing

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I'd sit there and look at the deserted lakes and I'd sing

MARCH 2024 EVENT

PROMPT ONE — EXIT STRATEGY: With the way via the main road a no-go, Methuselah finds a potential and very dangerous way out of the Milton area: the Milton Mines. During the Aurora, the Interlopers must find a way to safely navigate the mines and find a way through.

PROMPT TWO — BRAVE NEW WORLD: Interlopers make their way into the Lakeside area, and are free to explore the more of the Northern Territories: a place of both industry and leisure.

PROMPT THREE — THE ECHO: On Aurora nights, the aftermath of the Darkwalker's attack on the Interlopers continues to ripple through the community — with a painful affliction.

EXIT STRATEGY

WHEN: Mid-month.
WHERE: Milton Mines.
CONTENT WARNINGS: claustrophobic situations; potential injury/maiming; potential electrocution/electrocution injuries; potential burn injuries; hyperthermic situations; exploration horror;

Unusually, Methuselah returns to the town around the middle of the month. He is looking pleased and will ask that the Interlopers gather in the Community Hall. Once gathered, he climbs onto the small stage at one end of the Hall and explains that following last month’s Feast, he set out to try to find a way out of Milton, and he believes he may have found a way out.

He goes on to explain that although the Milton Mine has been closed for many years, there may still be access through the mine. The mine had two entrances through either sides of the stone, one on the Milton side since many of the residents worked the mine back in the day, but there was also an additional entrance on the opposite side, which led to a railway track that allowed easier export of coal and precious materials towards the coast. Having gained access, he believes the mine seems to mostly remain intact, but not easy to get through. However, he discovered that during the Aurora, the old mine and its electronics came to life — meaning a way through is certainly possible during those times with the added electronics in play.

It is not much, and it is certainly incredibly dangerous, but it is something. There is certainly no way out towards the south; towards the north might be the Interlopers’ best chance of finding a way out of Milton.

Methuselah will ask for any volunteers to join him in trying to find a way out via the mines, taking them up north and then waiting for an Aurora to happen before they can then make their way through and explore the mine system. Anyone is free to sign up, and he suggests someone drawing up a sign up sheet so that Interlopers have an idea of who is leaving the town on the journey.

The hike towards the mines is a long one, taking a few hours on an incline to reach the northern mountains. Waiting on the Aurora may take time, so setting up camp is the next step — waiting for night and hoping the skies fill with night soon. Interlopers are free to explore the mine beforehand, but will find a lot of it locked up tight. With areas unreachable without power and the darkness suffocating, they won’t get very far.

When the Aurora does finally come, the mine will come to life: the system’s lighting will come on throughout, albeit flickering and a little unreliable. Machinery and track systems whir and groan as the mine slowly cranks itself into functioning once more. While there are maps of the system to help Interlopers navigate the system — showing a second entrance labelled as ‘Lakeside Entrance’ — the true difficulty in getting through lies in wait.

Interlopers will find that parts of the system have been partially flooded: with the frigid water in places mostly ankle deep and others reaching no higher than knee-high on an average-height man. What’s worse, is the half-destroyed electrics ravaged by both time and the Aurora mean plenty of loose wires hanging here and there. It’s possible to accidentally catch yourself on them, meaning burn injuries and mild electric shocks — but care should be taken in checking if these wires may have fallen into these flooded parts. Stepping into these live waters will be far more deadly. They will also find that the electronically-powered gates that open through into areas may not function, with the fuses having been blown.

Gaining access through the mine is not impossible, however. It will simply require a little bit of legwork. One of the larger caverns of the mines houses a fuse board. Characters can switch off sections of the mines in order to traverse them safely, find new fuses in toolboxes scattered through the mines in order to open the gates and make their way through to gain access to the elevator of the mine — which will also require new fuses, in order to power the electrics to get it to function.

It is perhaps, most frustrating, that once Interlopers get the elevator working and head downwards into the final section of the mine, that they will come across hand-cranks — allowing them to use the elevator without the need for electricity. But at least the hard part is over, and the Interlopers now have a way through from Milton that doesn’t require relying on the Aurora to power the mine’s electrics.

On the lower section of the mine, there will be a handful of more gated rooms to get through before reaching the Lakeside Entrance, and more wires and flooded areas to traverse. But you can taste it: something on the air. You’re close.

You’ve made it, Interloper.

BRAVE NEW WORLD

WHEN: Mid-month, onwards.
WHERE: Milton Mines (Lakeside Entrance); The Ravine; Lakeside area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: themes of exploration/survival; themes of peril; acrophobia; potential character/npc death from falls; potential injuries, potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk;

Coming out of the mines, you will be greeted by a small mining camp and railway track enclosed by mountains on both sides. It’s incredibly sheltered here, with little wind chill and not as much snow on the ground compared to some of the more open areas of Milton. It may be best to rest here for the rest of the night. There are several portacabins that were used to house some of the former miners, along with additional cabins with one being some kind of foreman’s office, one that served as a kind of mess hall and one for bathing/toilet needs.

While there is little in terms of supplies left in there, some scraps may be found here and there — plus the cabins will provide decent shelter from the cold, which may be the last Interlopers will get ahead of the long walk down through the mountain track and into Lakeside. There is also plenty of coal left lying around, too — allowing for Interlopers to craft fires to keep warm. Even with it being sheltered, it’s still cold out.

In terms of where to go from here, the only way seems to be to follow the track. It’s a long walk, but rather straightforward if you keep to the tracks. A good few hours of it, but it’s quiet — and there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of wildlife or windchill here. It almost seems too easy, or as easy as it could be in regards to a long walk through thick snow.

Until you come face to face with the ravine.

The world opens up to you, with the tracks stretching over a huge valley via a… mostly sturdy-looking wooden and steel bridge. There doesn’t seem to be any way around it, no alternative route of getting over to the other side. Crossing the bridge is the only option. Care should be taken, with Interlopers now being vulnerable to the wind and the snow-laden tracks. As sturdy as the bridge looks, it seems to creak and groan under the weight of a single footstep. There even appears to be the remains of fall train-carts in the depths, from some unfortunate incident years ago. It’s probably fine.

Crossing the bridge and continuing down the tracks will eventually have the world opening up even more — you’ve finally reached Lakeside. Thick boreal forests crowd around the tracks, and in places, Interlopers will note that the tracks have buckled and become badly damaged. When they find roads, they will also find them in similar states of disrepair from beneath the snow. Following them for another hour or so will eventually lead to Lakeside’s Maintenance Yard. From here, there is a road, with directions: signs pointing towards Milton, the Coast, Lakeside Resort and the Carter Hydrodam.

For those interested in searching the Maintenance Yard, they will be greeted by a large, fenced in building. Fortunately, a great deal of the fencing has been damaged with the bad weather and it is easy enough to gain access. The place is a bit of a mess: scrap metal, wood, and dissued trucks and cars litter the yard, along with wood that can be used for kindling and firewood. Inside the Maintenance Yard, it is a little bit of a mechanic’s dream. There’s plenty of tools in this place, and even a forge which could be used for crafting if someone has the patience to fire it up and keep it hot for long enough. There’s plenty of stores of coal, at least. But in terms of a living space, there’s not much else other than a small break room with some comfy chairs to catch some quick shut-eye. Searching the Yard for any letters or such will reveal a similar theme to that of Milton: difficulty in reaching the Mainland with postage and correspondences, the lack of staffing, and the problems with wildlife. There are also complaints and concerns over growing dangers of small quakes causing damage to the roads and rail system.

Following the road towards the Lakeside Resort is a mostly quiet and pleasant enough trek, as long as one keeps close to or on the road there as much as possible. The Resort is largely secluded, even if it is around the actual lake itself, and it’s easy to see just why this place would have been a popular vacation place.

The resort is a collection of a dozen luxury cabins dotted around the edge of the lake, each of them with a decent amount of space between them for privacy. The cabins themselves are sturdy and well built, but look far more modern and almost designer in terms of style - with huge almost floor to ceiling windows and spacious porches for that perfect lakeside view, and open plan rooms and balconies. Each of the cabins contain multiple bedrooms, suitable for vacationing families and mix both modern technology and more rustic means of heating homes — making them ideal for all weathers.

A couple of the cabins are not completed, appearing to be a kind of expansion of the resort that was not finished. Build materials still remain here. Some of the cabins on the furthest side appear to have become victims of vandalism, having been broken into and completely trashed with windows smashed, furniture missing and broken, and any goods completely ransacked from the place. There are perhaps five cabins out of the twelve that remain fully intact and may contain useful items such as food, basic medical supplies and tools, and will certainly be excellent shelters for those looking for somewhere to stay.

There is also a Camp Office, situated at the east side of the lake. Used as a kind of main office of maintenance for the cabins, along with an office or tourist centre of sorts. It has a decent stock of hiking and outdoor essentials. The Camp Office does also have a small living space upstairs — presumably used by Lake staff or rangers, with a wood stove and kitchenette, along with a bathroom and several bunk-beds. It appears that the Camp Office wasn't abandoned until a short while ago — no more than a couple of months.

Following the road to the Hydrodam is a trickier one than the one to the Resort. There is a higher volume of predator wildlife here, with wolf howls closer and more frequent. With the current state of wildlife’s behaviours, it is likely to face attacks from wolves on the way there. The Carter Hydrodam has clearly seen better days. It seems to have fallen into disrepair and may have only been run by a small skeleton crew. While the Hydrodam is gated and locked up tight, it’s possible to break in through the gate and gain access.

While the lower dam is currently out of bounds, Interlopers will be able to get into the upper levels of the main building of the Hydrodam, which consists mostly of offices, maintenance rooms, a medical bay, and rooms banked with control panels, plus staff areas. The med bay is relatively well stocked, but might need a little forced entry with certain medical lockers and cabinets. Tools and other useful items can also be found here, along with bunk rooms, a small canteen and bathrooms/showers. It might be possible with some work to get access to hot water here — the showering systems run on a back-up furnace system, and while some of the pipes are broken, it might be possible to fix them to get the hot water system up and running again.

Following the road to the Coast will find a dead end. The bridge that heads over towards that direction has been damaged beyond repair, and there looks to be no way of getting around it. Perhaps, much like with getting out of Milton, there may be an alternate way of getting further south, but time will tell.

But for now, here is an entirely new region, ripe for the picking. While it appears some places have already seen minor scavenging (with the exception to the vandalism and looting of some of the resort cabins), Lakeside is largely untouched. It is full of game to hunt, an expansive lake to take up ice-fishing in, and indoor locations to search through for supplies. Some Interlopers may decide to stay here permanently now that it’s easier to travel between Lakeside and Milton.

THE ECHO

WHEN: Aurora Nights, the month of March.
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: supernatural/otherworldly afflictions; themes of grief; themes of loss

There are roughly no more than ten Aurora nights during the month of March, and everything occurs as usual: the insanely bright colours swirling in the skies before you, the crackles and pops of static in the air providing percussion to the strange, ethereal chorus of almost-electrical sounds. The electrics of the world around coming alive with its usual sputtering and falters. There is much mystery to these strange, almost supernatural phenomena — but they almost feel like a kind of staple in the Northern Territories.

But on these nights something different happens.

If you listen closely, the sound of weeping can be heard on the air. Those with the Aurora Call Feat will be particularly drawn to the sound, and will hear it more clearly compared to their fellow Interlopers. It is the sound of a woman, and those paying attention might be able to recognise the voice it belongs to: it is the same woman heard over the static of radios and televisions in December and early January. The same woman that spoke to Interlopers, telling them to sleep, with the promise of help — thus granting some of them powers. It is the same voice that screamed out the night La’an Noonien-Singh died, and the night of those recently killed in the church.

She is… grief-stricken. Her weeping is a raw and anguished thing, and the more you listen, the more it seems to grip at you. You feel her pain, maybe it echoes within your own. Those you have lost, those you have failed or hurt — a reverb that grows stronger as the night continues. It is an all-consuming pain, its depths endless. It brings tears to your eyes.

You carry this pain, as she does.

You feel it in your very bones, in your flesh and sinew. It’s an exhaustive pain, and as the night progresses, you find yourself incredibly weary. In a strange state of fatigue that won’t even allow you to sleep.

You may find yourself going in search of comfort amongst friends, or loved ones. To hold a hand, to embrace them — to not be alone in this pain you feel.

But it is a pain that is too great.

On these nights, you will find yourselves alone, without the comfort you would otherwise lean on. You will not be soothed by that comfort of others. For as long as the Aurora lasts, reaching out and touching others will bring real physical pain to you. It will hurt to touch others, and physical contact will produce a sharp biting pain, even for those who may not feel pain otherwise. Too much. It’s… too much.

Some of you were told once, in a dream: “Don’t you understand it now? We are all connected. The Aurora connects us.”

Once the lights in the sky fade, that pain will finally ease and the woman’s sobs will go quiet — but it will return once more, when the next Aurora comes.

FAQs

EXIT STRATEGY

1. It is entirely possible for NPC Interlopers to die in the mines due to electrocution, and players are free to use NPCs — we ask that players give mods a heads up so that the masterlist can be updated accordingly.

BRAVE NEW WORLD

1. The lower dam is currently completely physically impossible to access. The door that leads there is jammed shut. Characters will notice half-frozen water leaking on the floor around the door.

2. It is possible to find bodies in Lakeside, however there is a... suspiciously low amount of them, and the rare ones found by characters will have been there for some time. They will have appeared to have died of exposure.

3. Wolves can be found in Lakeside, and their tracks are incredibly common. Interactions with wolves can happen in the exploration of this region, and they will behave much like they did during the September event and be incredibly hostile to players.

4. Bears are also common in Lakeside, and their tracks can also be found. They technically should be still hibernating, and much like wolves — they will be aggressive towards Interlopers. Keep your distance!

5. Lakeside unlocking comes with a Companion Event of an Interation with a new NPC!

THE ECHO

1. Essentially: physical touch with others will bring Interlopers physical pain. Sorry about that.

2. It is possible for Interlopers with Aurora Call to attempt to reach out to the woman. Those interested can inquire into what that interaction may be like! They can find out what that entails here.

PLOTTING POST

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

i. look at one another, short of breath, walking proudly in our winter coats
exit strategy — base camp. ota, max 2 takers please! cw: smoking

[ Vasiliy goes because it's the right thing to do. Because, while there are medical personnel on this trip, none of them are specifically trained as first responders—he bears that burden alone, at least for the time being, his deep navy winter jacket with its reflective star of life pulled over a flannel and undershirt and fleece, making him easily and immediately identifiable to anyone who might need help.

The trip up the mountain is easier for him than some others, toned muscles and a well-conditioned cardiovascular system put to work, but even so, his shoulders ache with the weight of his kit bag by the third hour; his legs burn. Any of the cold of their environs is long forgotten behind the generated heat of such prolonged exertion. He thinks of Kostya—it's a good thing he's not here, despite how badly he knows the space commander wanted to attend. He wouldn't have gotten very far.

When they finally reach base camp, he takes a few moments to sit down on a tremendous rock where it erupts from the ground and catch his breath. He can feel the bone-chilling cold of the stone through his pants and thermal underwear but can't bring himself to care, far too preoccupied with the familiar ritual of pulling a cigarette from the pack in his breast pocket and lighting it.

Once he's had a good several drags, he walks the camp, checking in with those who seem a bit worse for wear. ]

Are you okay?

ii. the rest is silence
exit strategy — the mine. 1 taker please!
cw: vomiting, post-traumatic stress disorder episode, references to torture/execution, attempt to smoke

[ He didn't anticipate the effect the mines would have on him, but he should have, being that he knew in advance he'd be traveling deep into the bowels of the earth. Even without walls, the smell is familiar—it would seem underground smells the same everywhere, even across an ocean. It smells too familiar; the air is too damp, the acoustics here the same as the cement halls that populate his memories.

His heart races in his chest and measured breathing does absolutely nothing to stop it. His hands shake ever-so-slightly as he fights to focus, to push back the irrational sense that his life is in immediate danger, but his body doesn't listen. The memory of how cold and hard the floor was under the bones of his knees as he lowered himself onto them with his back turned to his executioner eclipses logical thought. He doesn't want to die. He knows he's in no danger here, at least not that type of danger, but every step deeper into the mine is forced and deliberate. He doesn't want to die. He doesn't want to die. Raw fear in its truest form makes his body go cold, severing him from his surroundings.

Vasiliy fumbles at his breast pocket and manages to withdraw a single cigarette only to realize once it's in his mouth that he can't light it here. What is he supposed to do? What the fuck is he supposed to do?

He's trapped in here. He's completely at these people's mercy—sure, he has a loaded gun tucked into his waistband, but he's at their mercy. They could kill him right now. Another shaky breath, another step forward, deeper into the earth. The rush of excess adrenaline is sickening, turning his stomach, tingling in his extremities, and the next thing he knows he's bending forward and vomiting onto the rocky ground, supporting himself with a hand against the wet stone wall.

As soon as the heaving stops, he's wiping his mouth and moving forward again, as would be expected of someone wearing the uniform he's wearing— but it doesn't escape his notice that someone has stopped to look at him. Great. ]

I'm okay.

[ See? Still trudging along with everyone else. Perfectly fine. Just scared shitless and, as "millenials" would say, triggered out of his mind while doing it. ]

iii. it's a long way down to the bottom of the river
exit strategy — the mine. 1 taker please!

[ Vasiliy sees the electric shock the instant it happens, a flash of white against the dark background of the cave—and smells it, the unmistakable smell of burning human flesh. Water splashes as the unlucky victim falls backwards—and, after the split second needed to see them surface alive and confirm that the water itself isn't lethally electrified, as Vasiliy jogs towards them. ]

Where are you burnt?

Edited 2024-03-11 03:00 (UTC)

[ He knows what he needs to do when the expedition is announced—but it's hard this time in a way it never has been before. This time there's someone to leave behind—and, for the first time since his death, there's someone to mourn him, should something happen.

Further—who will take care of Kostya in his absence? If he dies, how will he find food for the thing when the grouse in the pen run out? Who will chop wood and bring back supplies on the days he's too incapacitated to stray further from bed than the bathroom on the other side of the wall? He feels sicker and sicker the longer he thinks about it, and still he turns it over and over in his mind, like he'll uncover some third answer he didn't think of the other hundred times, one in which he goes and stays.

It should be an easy choice to make. It's simple calculus: the lives of the many other interlopers, together, are worth more than one man's, even a Hero of the Soviet Union, but he wants to stay with him, wants to continue knowing where he is, if he's safe. Guilt fills his core like lead as he walks home through the snow—and it's immediately amplified when he opens the door and sees his housemate, obviously happy to see him, without any idea of the news he's about to drop upon him. He swallows. ]

Kostya, I have to tell you something.

[ It's been on his mind, too — a different difficulty, one in which his own guilt comes from not going. There was a time when he was keeping other people safe. When he was paving the way, stepping into unknown territories. When he could find an escape out of a prison, and lead others through. He's still that person, even if his body can't live up to his own standards for himself these days, and Konstantin Veshnyakov can bear anything, he thinks, but this brand of frustration is almost intolerable. It's there always, this needling thing inside of him. He has little outlet for the unrest, other than to try and keep busy.

But he can only do so much at the cabin, and eventually every dish is washed and he's swept snow from the front porch and read through another book. It's so much worse when he's alone. And when he hears footsteps at the door, he's perking up without having to think about it at all, something lifting the heaviness of his spirit, moving to cross the distance of the modest cabin space and greet the other man right as he steps through the door.

But he pauses at those words, and he's never been one to react with too much kneejerk alarm; Konstantin is a steady presence, has learned how to be calm in the face of stressful environments long before this place. Still, something tightens unpleasantly deep in his chest, but he doesn't let that show at all, and in fact smiles more brightly as he moves aside to usher Vasiliy in out of the cold and towards the fireplace that he's kept going strong with the wood the other man consistently has ready. ]

Of course — here, come sit by the fire as we talk, warm yourself.

[ He's attentive as he sits too, turning to face Vasiliy. ]

[ It would be easier, Vasiliy thinks, if he’d reacted with some external measure of foreboding—some indication that this isn’t going to catch him completely off-guard. But him being caught off-guard by unexpected bad news seems to be the route this interaction is taking, and it makes it all the harder to break that news as Vasiliy settles into his chair.

He feels the distinct urge to light a cigarette before the conversation begins, but he suppresses it for now; Konstantin doesn’t smoke, and he’s not from a time when most people smoked—it would seem like his attention wasn’t fully on him, when in fact the exact opposite is true. Instead, Vasiliy takes a quiet, stiff breath, mouth drawn in a tight line for a moment before he speaks. ]

Kostya… I need to go on the expedition. There’s a doctor here, but he’s from the 1800s. I’m the only first responder here.

[ But doesn’t Kostya need him too?, a small voice in the back of his mind asks, still looking for any reason to just stay against any Bolshevik standard of impartiality. ]

It should last maybe a week. I’m going to make sure as much is stocked as possible, and I’ll… write notes you can give a doctor if the worst happens. So that they know everything I knew.

[ Konstantin's a highly observant man, despite how he may come across at times on the surface — but he catches those little tells, and when you've spent the past couple of months living in the same space as someone else, you start learning the subtle things. His eyes lower to the taut line of the younger man's mouth, staring there for a moment, before he looks back up.

It hits him unexpectedly hard, unexpectedly fast. It feels like a punch to the gut, and he knows why it would, but he didn't anticipate feeling it so... sharply. Still, he controls his expression well enough, even if he's looking down at wooden floorboards for a moment. Why is it such a difficult thought, that Vasiliy won't be here? Why had he never entertained the possibility that they'd be separated in this place?

....That's why, of course — because the EMT is his personal link to medical care and stability, as much as he's become his friend. It makes sense why he would feel some weird sense of loss. He finally looks back up, but he isn't smiling anymore. ]

Of course. I understand completely — they need you.

[ I need you, and he's ashamed of the thought, the utter helplessness of it. Shoves it right away. Tries to.

'if the worst happens' Vasiliy says, and that's another punch. Konstantin almost doesn't know what to say, a rarity for him, torn between the fact that this is a commendable thing the other man is doing, brave and selfless, and.... the fact he's terrified to lose him. ]

...Do you know who else is going, yet? Will you have enough help?

Methuselah will be leading us. A fair group is going.

[ Konstantin said he understood, but Vasiliy isn't able to shake the feeling that he's committing a sort of horrible betrayal of the one friend he's had in... a long time. What will happen to Konstantin, if he's gone?

He swallows; not a word of this has been easy to get out, but this is the hardest part. ]

...We're going to leave in a few hours. [ i.e., We may only have a few hours left with each other, because people die here. ] I'm... sorry there wasn't more notice.

[ He feels as though he's verbalizing something that hasn't been brought up before by apologizing, by acknowledging that more notice would have been appropriate. Acknowledging the emotional need to prepare for the absence, that they mean something to one another now—and it's a mutual one. How badly he'd like to go to sleep in the same bed, to lie by his side one more time—he's done terrible, unforgiveable things, but surely even he is worthy of that small comfort to hold on to in what may be his dying moments.

Even if it was never anything more than the warmth of human companionship and brotherly love to Konstantin, it was real and it happened and he's sure he'll remember it in the next lifetime, just as vividly as he remembers his parents, his old friends in this one. He'll always have the memories to hold onto, he tells himself, even if the worst happens—even if Kostya is paradoxically taken from him by his own death, if he dies and wakes completely alone again and leaves him behind in another time, another world. Even the thought is unspeakably painful. ]

[ A few hours.

Hours... that's nothing. That might as well be seconds for how the cosmonaut feels yet another punch to the gut, even if he conceals it well enough, body kept calm and controlled. He's learned, over the years and over his training, how to process things quickly, efficiently. It's been a necessity for what he is. The facts are there, with no time for dwelling or second-guessing: Vasiliy is leaving in a matter of hours. And he may not ever come back.

This goodbye might be a permanent one.

Konstantin allows himself a moment to take a deep sigh, tension coiled and then released with the exhale of breath, but his stomach still aches after. ]

...There's a part of me that still wants to insist I go, too. To help you. [ He looks up and over at the younger man, watching the flame from the nearby fireplace cast warm little flickers of light over Vasiliy's features, and allows a little smile to touch his own. ]

But I know better. [ He can't. He would weigh others down. Even Vasiliy would be occupied with his safety; he needs to be able to devote that care to others who aren't coming into the expedition already debilitated.

But.... how can he possibly say goodbye? The thought is so painful. Uncomfortably painful, something he feels in danger of tumbling facefirst into and becoming unhelpful at all. He can't let himself do that right now, smooths his palms down over his knees, clears his throat. ]

Can I help you do anything to prepare? Do you have enough clothes, some food?

[ The faint, sad smile hurts, a deep ache in his chest. Vasiliy wants him to come too, to have his company—Konstantin wants to go. His throat feels unpleasantly tight. He doesn't want to say goodbye to this man—to the only person he'll ever meet in his lifetimes from the same extinct country as himself, and—a genuinely good person, a remarkable person. He doesn't know that he's ever liked anyone so much as he likes the cosmonaut, and certainly doesn't trust that he'll ever find someone he likes so much again. This is, in all likelihood, his only chance at the company of someone like this.

Konstantin is too uniquely molded in the image of everything he respects in a companion, everything he seeks out. It feels like a sick joke from a nonexistent God, some additional torment—introducing him to the possibility of happiness and understanding for the express purpose of snatching it away once he's started to get comfortable. He deserves this, but Konstantin doesn't.

He's not ready to part with the equilibrium the relationship has reached, the comfort and enjoyment of Konstantin's near-constant presence. He's not ready to willingly, on his own volition, walk away from the only person who can ever hope to understand him beyond what he can explain, and that's the only choice he has, no matter how many different angles he examines the situation from in his search for an answer that evades their unavoidable separation.

He hasn't felt so desolate since he first realized where and when he was.

Vasiliy swallows before answering, mouth dry. ]

Food would be nice. Thank you.

[ He knows Vasiliy is a grown man, and certainly a capable one — hell, he's been keeping him alive and taking care of him for months now. (Months... somehow those weeks turned into months, and somewhere along the way he stopped saying he was going to leave. Stopped thinking about leaving at all. This little cabin has become home, for however long that lasts. He can't imagine being here without Vasiliy.) But even so, Konstantin is happy to help him prepare in any way he might need, and gives an immediate nod — leaning forwards to stand from the sofa, hesitating, and then reaching to place his hand on the other man's knee for a moment. ]

It's a commendable thing you're doing, comrade. You're a good man. A strong man.

[ He calls Vasiliy that a bit less and less these days (it's more 'Vasya' than anything, familiar and warm) but in certain moments he's reminded that they are comrades too, and the importance of that particular concept. This place may not be their country, but Vasiliy's representing it by serving the people here. Protecting them, helping them. He's doing a wonderful, selfless thing. It isn't easy — who knows what he'll encounter out there in the cold wilds? He may very well be about to give up his life.

A brief squeeze to the space just above his knee, and then Konstantin's standing, moving to the kitchen area of the cabin. At least most of what they have are things that would last on a journey anyway; perishables don't keep long around here. He pulls out some cans, some jerky, a few other things that should hold up, carefully wrapping and packing them into a large outdoors backpack that one of them picked up from a house around here. Like so many things here, its original owner is long-dead now. ]

Would you like something to eat now, before you go? Or some tea? If I get to keep you for a couple more hours, the least I can do is use them to get something warm in your belly before you head off.

[ The weight and warmth of Konstantin's broad, undeniably masculine hand on his knee, and—squeezing his thigh, briefly, a comforting, bracing gesture, or one that's meant to be those things and only those things. They've never been so close as this, now as he's about to leave; it's unfair. His heart beats faster and just as soon as the touch began his companion is raising himself to his feet and offering to make him something, talking about keeping him for a couple more hours with no awareness that he'd very much like to be kept so much longer than that. It aches.

There's so much that he'd like to do in what may well be their last few hours together, and none of it is appropriate to propose to him, to ask—he wants to be close, as close as he can be, to memorize every detail of his appearance, his voice, his manner of speaking. In his twenties he'd thought that of course he would remember his own parents perfectly if they were to pass—but he doesn't, not really, their faces increasingly vague and distorted by time until he needed a photograph to remember them.

There will be no photographs of Konstantin, aside from the one, which isn't his to take. He'll only have his memory to rely on for who knows how long if his death separates them across a span of decades.

He's not hungry, truth be told—how could he be?—but he nods anyways at the question. It will give Konstantin a way to feel less helpless. ]

I'd like that. Tea would be good, too. Thank you. You'll have to have it ready when I come back.

[ "When" he comes back, like he can will it into existence or will himself to believe it. It'll be easier on Kostya, though, at least in the short run. ]

[ He certainly doesn't miss that wording — when and not if. Both words are an ache, in their own ways (and he knows full-well that both are a possibility) but he doesn't know if he could stomach the thought of if, and so he's holding onto the one Vasiliy uses instead. ]

By then, maybe I'll have found a way to make teacakes. It would be nice.

[ Another smile, not quite his usual broad, bright things, but warm and just a smidgen playful, the way Konstantin so perpetually is. He lets the smile stay on Vasiliy for a moment before he turns to start putting things together, setting the bag of food aside for him and pulling some things out of the cabinet for them to eat now. It's generally canned items in this place, which will take a few minutes to heat up on a pot over the fire. He also starts another pot to boil some water with, for the tea. It's become routine now; he knows where everything is, maneuvering his way around the little kitchen with ease, and once he has things heating up, he turns back to Vasiliy. ]

You're going to do just fine. And when you get back, you'll have plenty of new stories to share. I'm looking forward to that — tales of the unexplored North.

[ A quiet smile twitches at the corners of his mouth, even if it doesn’t fully reach his eyes. ]

Teacakes would be nice. Even if the flour is stale.

[ He cants his head ever-so-slightly to one side, studying the other where he stands in the kitchen. It feels good, being told that, having Konstantin reaffirm his faith in him even if the main preoccupation since he broke the news has been what will happen if he doesn’t do just fine. ]

And I’ll save some stories for you if you tell me about space. You’re the only person here who’s seen it. Our space, at least.

[ Not that Kostya hasn’t in the past, but he could never get tired of hearing him talk about it—the respect and love for something so much larger than him in his voice when he talks about his travels, about the endless void and all of the stars above him, of his adventures, things someone born in 1910 could only dream of. ]

[ While he waits for the water and food to heat up, Konstantin slowly gets out some things to eat on and two mugs, setting them down on the counter, looking over his shoulder at Vasiliy after. The request makes his heart warm, and also tighten, and he can't imagine an existence without Vasya there to talk to ever again. So much of their time is spent like that, together — sharing conversation in their native language, in this cabin, safely tucked away. It's become... comfortable. He doesn't want to lose it. To lose him. ]

Of course. Would you like one of my daring stories now before you go? [ He gives a playful lift of brows. ] Or should I wait for when you return?

if u wanna handwave/be vague instead of coming up w a whole space story i'm totally down 4 that btw

m1895 - 2024-03-23 19:13 (UTC) - Expand

Kostya's Space Adventure + some handwaved idle chatter 2 pass the time??

sputnik - 2024-03-26 15:34 (UTC) - Expand

vasiliy yegorovich ardankin | original — historical/(secret) revenant

iv. for kostya

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the rest is silence

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v. for lalo | cw animal """neglect""" (not thriving in the wild)